Electricity-meter cover fastener



Feb. 10, 1931. A. L. EMENS 1,791,392

ELECTRICITY METER COVER FASTENER Filed Jan: 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet i 10, J Z567; L.

improved means for securing the body and cover portions ofa meter caslng 1n assembly. 1

Patented Feb. 1 0, 1931 Q N ED A ES PATENT, OFFICE.

ALBERT I... EMENS, oFfLA FAYETTE, InDIANA, AssIGnon T0 DUNCAN Emmmc MANII- FAC'IURING COMPANY, OF'LA FAYETTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF. ILLINOIS "ELECTRICI -METER. COVER FASTENER Application filed January 11, 1929. .Serial No. 331,732.

My invention relates to electricity meters and has for its generalobj ect the provision of In carrying out myinvention one of the two aforesaid casing portions, preferably the body portion, is equipped with an operating bar which is in controlling relation to a cam which, in turn, isin controlling relation'to a holding member-that is provided upon the casing portion that carries the bar, this holdin g member and the other casing portion having complemental partswhereby the twOcasing portions are held together when the cam controlling bar is suitablyactuated. In the preferred embodiment of the invention two diametrically opposite latching hooks are employed, each latching hook being swingingly mounted. upon a bolt, each bolt being within the influence of a cam in the region thereof. The cams are desirably integrally formed with the bar and'the bar is preferably centrally pivoted upon the back of the body portion of the meter casing so as to turn upon an axis that'is coincident with the meter casing axis, this casing preferably being generally cylindrical. A securing device is" also de sirably provided upon the body portion of the casing for holding the bar in its latching hook applying position. This securing de vice is preferably in the form of a threaded pin which is screwed into the body portion of the casing to bring the head of the pin into clamping engagement with the rim of ahole in the bar through whichthepin is passed. Suitable sealing means are employed for pre-. venting the undetectable removal of such securing pin. j

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front view illustratinga single phase induction electricity meter equipped in accordance withmy invention;

Fig.- 2isa sectional view on line 2-7-2 of Fig.

1, on a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 8(of Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 8; Fig. 5 is a sectional View on line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6. is a rear elevation of a portion of the meter Fig. 7 is a sectional viewon line 7-7. of Fig. 5;:

and Fig. 8 shows some of the "parts. that are illustrated in Fig. 5 but with parts ofthe latching mechanism in changed positions.-

Themeter illustrated is an induction watt- 1 hour meter. This meter is inclusive of an upright spindle or shaft 7 suitably held in bearings at itsends. A horizontal aluminum armature disc 10 is carried by'the spindle on which the disc is rigidly secured? This disc is turned proportionately to the energy consumed bythe load by a magnet system that is inclusive of a current or series magnet and a pressure or shunt magnet. The current magnet is inclusive of an E shaped core ofla-minated iron-11 whose middle leg is wound by a coil 12 serially included in one load circuit side. The pressure ,magnet is inclusive of aU shaped laminated iron core 13 whose legs are surrounded by the coils 14 which are connected in series in the same bridge between the 1 The cores of the current and pressure magnets are carried by posts 18 which, in, turn, are carried by the upright back wall 19 of the meter casing. The arcuate wall 20 of the meter casing body projects forwardly from the meter back 19 and surrounds the magnets. This casing body-is desirably formed of castiron. An upright plate 21, of iron, constibetween the magnet system and the dampingmagnet. This plate is mounted upon cars 22 that are desirably integrally cast with the meter casing body and are contained within such body. Said plate is nearly coplanar with the front edgeof the meter casing. A clipstructure, of which a portion 23 is shown, is carried by and upon 'tutes a magnetic shield which is interposed the front face of the plate 21 and carries the" damping magnet 15 in front of said plate. A post-24c is carried by and projects forwardly from the plate 21 and carries the keeper 10. A cover 25, preferably of glass, is of cup shape, the rim of the cup being carried upon the front edge of the meter casing body, there being a packing 26 which is clamped between the cover and easing body. The means illustrated for clamping the cover in place is inclusive of two diametrically opposite latching hooks 27. Each of these hooks is swingingly mounted upon the head of a bolt 28. The stems of these bolts are slidingly received in bores that extend along the axis of the meter and are provided in ears 30 that are cast integrally with the body portion of the meter casing. The head-s of said bolts are forwardly projected beyond the places of attachment of the latching hooks with the bolts. An actuating bar 31 is journaled upon a bolt 32 that is screwed into the meter back 19 coaxially with the meter casing, said bar being thus adapted to turn in a plane that is normal to the meter casing axis. The ends of the bar 31 are forwardly deflected and enter the recesses 19 inthe back of the meter casing. Said bar 31 is formed with oppositely inclined portions 33 that form cams upon which the bolt enlargements 28 ride. When said bar is turned in one direction said bolt enlargements are forced to ride upon said cams to the higher portions of the cams whereby rearward movement of said bolts is forced together with a corresponding rearward movement of the latching hooks 27 The cover engaging ends of said latching hooks are thus caused to grip the annular rib 34 of the cover 25. Figs. 2 and The bar 31 is maintained in its latch applying position by means of a pin 39 whose shank is screwed into the body portion of the meter casing and enters the interior of this body portion. The head of the pin 39 is clamped against the outer end of the lateral extension 31' of the bar 31, the shank of the pin 39 passing through an opening formed in this bar extension and the head of said pin being clamped against the part that margins the opening therethrough. Withdrawal of the clamping pin 39 is prevented by the inner end of the holding pin 40 which is screwed into and through the terminal block 41 that constitutes the closure for the opening in the bottom of the casing continuation 20. The pin 40 is desirably passed through an opening 39 in the inner end of the shank of the screw 39, turning of this screw being thus effectively prevented. As will later appear sealing means are provided to guard against the undetectable withdrawal of the pin 40 from holding engagement with the pin 39.

The terminal block 41 formed of insulation carries the four meter terminals 42 that are contained in the meter casing. Contact pins 43 are screwed into the terminals 42. These contact pins have polygonal flanges 44. The terminal block 41 is clamped between the terminals 42 and the flanges 44 and said terminals are consequently, mounted upon the upper side of said terminal blocks. The pins 43 are received within the contact sleeve 45 with which the line and load circuit sides are connected as is well understood by those familiar with the art. The contact sleeves 45 are mounted upon a terminal block 46, also formed of insulation. The terminal block 46 is mounted upon the cars 47 that are cast integrally with and within the service conneetion box 48. The terminal block 41 is clamped against the rim that surrounds the open upper end of the service connection box by means of the clamping bolts 49 that are screwed into the ears 20 that are cast integrally upon and within the casing continuation 20. Said clamping bolts are formed with shoulders 49 which have direct clamping engagement with the block 41. Said bolts are also provided with wing nuts 50 which are screwed upon their outer ends and force the service connection box 48 against the terminal block 41. A skirted cap 51 has its end wall clamped between the terminal block 41 and the bottom edge of the meter casing continuation 20. This cap end wall is formed with a large opening to permit of the clear passage of the meter terminals 42 from the terminal block41 into the interior of the meter casing. The skirt of said cap surrounds the terminal block 41 and the top rim of the service connection box and desirably extends a considerable distance below said terminal block, whereby access of moisture to the service connection box at the upper end of this box is guarded against.

Undetectable access to the interior of the service connection box is prevented by means of the sealed wires 52 which are passed through openings that are formed in the wing nuts 50 and the outer ends of the bolts 49. So long as said sealing wires are unbroken the interengagement of the pins 39 and 40 remains intact. If the service connection box is removed the undetectable removal of the pin 40 is still guarded against by the sealing wire 53 which is passed through the head of the pin 40, that is below the terminal block41, and through a clip 54 that is clamped between the terminal block 41 and the shoulder 49 of the adjacent clamping bolt 49. The sealing wires 52 and 53 in cooperation with the pin 40 thus effectively guard the pin 39 from undetectable removal from its effective position in which it holds the bar 31 in a position in which this lever functions, indirectly, to hold the meter cover in place. While said bar is preferably coaxial with the meter casing in order that it may be turned in a plane that is transverse to the direction of movements of the bolts 28 and hooks 27 the invention is not to be thus limited.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

ill!) Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a casing for an electricity meter having body and cover portions; of a plurality of latching hooks, each swingingly mounted independently of thei others on one of the portions, and each linearly reciprocable independently of the others with respect to said portion, abar mounted to turn in a plane transversefto the direction of bodily movement of said latching hooks, and

' cams operated by said bar and operable upon the latching hooks respectively and" simultaneously to efi ect linear reciprocation of the latching hooks and the holding engagement thereof with theother casing portion.

2. The structure in claim 1 wherein each latching hook is mounted on a bolt which is linearly reciprocable and which is engaged by one of the cams controlled by the bar.

3. The structure of claim 1. wherein a bolt is mounted to slide in the general direction of bodily movement of the latching hook that is mounted thereon and which bolt is engaged by the cam that is controlled by the bar.

4. The 7 structure of claim 1 cam is carried upon the bar. V

- 5. The structure of claim 1 wherein a po sitioning pin is employed for holding the bar in a latching hook applying position; and a sealing device is employed for preventing un detectable effective shifting of said pin.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein a positioning pin is employed for holding the bar in a latching hook applying position; a second pin is screwed into holding engagement with the positioning pin; and a sealing device is employed for preventing undetectable removal of the second mentioned pin.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

. ALBERT L. EMENS.

wherein the Y 

